Taken after a 2 hour hike in deep snow.

A small castle on the outskirts of the city of Breda, NL

I was virtually wandering around the Upper Swabia countryside in Germany on Google Earth and randomly bumped into this massive complex.

Turns out this place used to be an Imperial Abbey. It underwent a massive expansion in the 18th century, transforming into what people often call a "Heaven on Earth" for High Baroque/Rococo architecture.

Seriously, looking at the scale of the monastery buildings, church, and gardens, I can't help but wonder where these monks were getting their budget from back then!

Upper Swabia seems to be packed with these ridiculously grand Baroque monasteries (Ottobeuren, Weingarten, etc.). Anyone here been to Ochsenhausen in person?

Author of the reconstruction: Gabriele Pettinau. Source. Actual picture from here

The castle structure mainly dates from the 12th to 14th centuries and is an example of medieval Portuguese military architecture, featuring heavy stone walls, crenellated towers, and Gothic entry portals. Today, it is a luxury hotel and visitors stay within the castle walls. When I was there I stayed at Estralagem de Convento, but the castle was beautiful.

Castello Scaligero di Sirmione is a remarkably preserved 13th-century fortress and rare water castle located at the entrance of Sirmione's historic center on Lake Garda, Italy.

Built by the Scaliger family of Verona, this medieval stronghold features massive stone walls, swallow-tail battlements, and a 47-meter-high keep overlooking the lake.

Its most distinctive feature is a unique, fully fortified 14th-century harbor once used to protect the Venetian fleet.

Today, it stands as one of Italy's most complete and visited coastal castles, offering panoramic rampart walks and views over the peninsula.

The source

Built on the Southern end of the Tauern pass, an important Alpine crossing in the Middle Ages that connected Venice and Southern Germany. The castle was built to enforce road tolls from the travellers. Nowadays a museum that gives a good insight into life in Medieval castles.

Olavinlinna Castle is one of Finland's most iconic medieval fortresses, dramatically located on a rocky island in Lake Saimaa in Savonlinna.

The building of Olavinlinna, castle of St. Olaf, began in 1475. The Danish-born founder of the castle, knight Erik Axelsson Tott, decided that a powerful fortification should be built to protect the strategically important Savo region. The castle was supposed to repel Russian attacks from the east and to guarantee the control of the Savo region for the Swedish Crown. The history of Olavinlinna is a mixture of medieval arms clashing, cannons roaring and every-day chores inside the security of the castle's thick walls.

Today, Olavinlinna is a really popular tourist destination all year round. In addition to guided tours, many things happen in Olavinlinna, e.g. themed program, in the summertime Opera Festival and many other concerts.

I have drove by Rathfarnham castle many a time and always said to myself I must drop in there some day . Well i did yesterday and to my surprise i was surprised. Just a few photos. I was amazed at the size of the door lock it is huge .... keep up the good work O.P.W.

Author: Mike Codd. Source